Why Tambuwal Is ‘Untouchable’ In PDP – BoT Member

Both President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are fed up with the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal over his alleged romance with the opposition but there is nothing they could do about it but waiting for when he would step on the proverbial banana peels, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) confided this in LEADERSHIP.

Since his emergence as the number four citizen in the country, Tambuwal, has not ceased having what his party described ‘unholy romance’ with the opposition that brought him to power at the expense of the PDP discredited zoning arrangement.

Hosting the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan took the likes of the speaker and Governor Rotimi Amaechi to cleaners accusing them of flirting with the opposition at the expense of the party that brought them into office.

But the PDP chieftain said, suspend Tambuwal from the PDP is to kick their members in the House out because they would follow him.

The speaker, in a tactical response told the President that party supremacy should not be at the expense of democracy. And speaking in Benin, Edo State capital at the birthday and silver jubilee wedding anniversary of the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr Pius Odubu, Tambuwal agains told his cynics that in the House, it is Nigeria before politics.

But speaking with our correspondent in Abuja yesterday, the chieftain of PDP expressed concern of the party for the flirting of the Tambuwals, Nyakos and Amaechis but regretted that his party lacks what it takes to call them to order.

He said, “No one is happy with the public appearance of the speaker with the opposition. Remember how he got to the office, it was the same opposition that brought him to power all because of indiscipline of some of our members. We have zoning arrangement but he and a few others sabotaged the zoning arrangement. This is why we are unable to stop him and we may not be able to do so. One of the greatest fears of the PDP is that if Tambuwal is suspended or expelled, majority of our members in the House have threatened to follow him to whichever party he is going. And that will make the PDP a minority party in the House.

“If we asked him to resign as the Speaker, he would not do that, and we have no power to remove him despite the fact that we have the majority of the members but we have no control over them. This is our dilemma. When last did you see Tambuwal with our governors the way he is doing with the opposition? We even heard that he might defect to contest the presidential poll come 2015 yet he remains on that exalted seat.”

From left, Speaker House of Representative, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during the Official Launching of Opon Imo: Tablet of Knowledge, at Zenababs Hotel, Ilesa, the State of Osun on Monday 03-06-2013

The former national officer of the party urged the interim leadership of the party “to work hard and wield those rebels within our party before the next convention in order to move forward. Look at what Amaechi is saying, the party ordered him to reinstate the leadership of the local government he teleguided the House to sack, but is he saying the House is stronger than him? The likes of Murtala Nyako would not take a directive from the National Chairman of the party, is that good? Some of them would be attacking the party that brought them to office on the pages of newspapers. Is that good? The earlier we sanitise the party before election time the better for us.”

Source: Leadership